Hunting Vintage Textiles Abroad

David and I just returned from an amazing two-week trip to Switzerland. Although we were married the end of November, being a teacher meant the honeymoon trip had to wait until summer. 

It was worth the wait.

Although we certainly spent the bulk of the trip seeing the usual Swiss highlights: the Matterhorn, the glaciers, the Alps, the trains; we also found time to doing some vintage treasure hunting!

First, the obligatory shot of the two of us with the Matterhorn in the background.

And now, on to the vintage textiles. 

We came perilously close to a flea market as we toured past the market in Locarno--I even saw a stack of banana boxes filled with treasure, but alas, we could not stop. We also found a vintage clothing store, but it was closed.

But finally, in Locarno, in the southern part of Switzerland, we did find a genuine second-hand shop, filled with junk and treasures. There were some very lovely linens, but the prices were--like everything else in Switzerland--very high.

We had lots of fun digging, and I did buy a pretty linen Kreier tablecloth and another embroidered linen table topper. Kreier is a Swiss company that specializes in table linens, handkerchieves and scarves.

There were textiles to admire, of course. On our tour of Stockalper Castle in Brig, we found a lovely embroidered banner. It was hard to photograph under plexiglass without a glare, but here is a section of it:

We visited a tiny little village all the way up in the Valley Verzasca called Sonogno, where they had a museum and some lovely examples of linens and traditional clothing:

And on a hidden shelf in one of the little shops in 
Sonogno, I found these beautiful, hand embroidered pieces. Through a complex (and sometimes hilarious) exchange with the shopkeeper, during which we spoke German (David's contribution), French (my contribution), a little English, and a little Italian (which only the shopkeeper knew), we discovered that they are designed to be bedskirts for a baby's crib, and they are made from antique linen bedsheets. I think they would be lovely as valances in a nursery window, don't you?

And lastly, we also visited a little museum in Grindelwald, a little village at the foot of the Jungfraujoch (the highest point in Europe, way up in the Alps), and found more gorgeous textiles!

But what I will never forget is the lace curtains that hang in nearly every chalet window across Switzerland.

I had to have some for my own. 

We searched and searched, and finally found a fabric store that sold the lace by the yard. Or by the meter, actually.

And now, every morning when we wake up, we will think of Switzerland as the sun shines through our new lace curtains!

The Lure of the Banana Box

I don't really like bananas. Maybe some banana nut bread, but just a plain banana? I'll pass.

But what I absolutely CANNOT pass is a banana box.

I'm not sure what trend-setting junker or flea market fanatic first decided that using banana boxes was the best way to pack and store her collection of treasures, but she should have patented it. She'd be sitting on a beach somewhere attended by an army of cabana boys with cold drinks.

But I digress.

When you have been to a lot of flea markets, or when you go to a couple regularly, you learn to be purposeful as you walk through the rows. Cheap sunglasses? Stacks of socks and underwear? Keep moving.

But there--THERE is a collection of neatly arrayed banana boxes! And that's where I want to be!

Sometimes vendors can trick you, and they fill their rows of banana boxes with cheap tchotchkes from China, and you beat a hasty retreat. But if you're lucky? Oh, joy!

Boxes of Schtuff. Junque. Auction flotsam and jetsam.

HEAVEN!

When things don't go as you expected...

Sometimes things just don't go as you expected. Such was our adventure out to the flea market today.

It's sort of a rule: I usually find more vintage treasure at the flea markets than I do at the antique mall. Of course, the antique mall has lots of wonderful things, but they are usually at "La dee Dah" prices, and not "Dirty Box Lot" prices.

So Dear David and I set out at the crack of dawn this morning for Saturday's Market in Central Pennsylvania. Located at a defunct discount department store building, the inside includes regular vendors with booths, along with fresh produce, Amish baked goods (OMG, the smells are wonderful) and the occasional stand selling replacement gutters or carpet remnants. 

Outside in the parking lot is space for the day vendors with their tables full of sunglasses, socks (who on earth BUYS all these socks and sunglasses?), garage sale leftovers, flowers, used children's toys, obsolete computers and electronics, and rusty tools. 

We start outside. 

And here is where things don't go as expected. I did find a small box of gorgeous Irish linen damask tablecloths. Two of them with their 1940s paper labels, unused. On the ground. Next to the aforementioned rusty tools. At a very agreeable price.

But we really didn't find much else, particularly given that both our sock drawers are already pretty full.

So, we headed over to a large antique mall we hadn't visited in a while. 

And hit the vintage linens jackpot.

We found some great tablecloths, a Bates double sized bedspread, and some other goodies!

Sometimes you just have to leave yourself open to the possibilities!

Mother's Day at the Flea Market

A beautiful sunny Mother's Day here in Central Pennsylvania. Some mothers might want breakfast in bed. I had breakfast at the diner with Dear David and made it to the flea market by 8:00 am.

Best things about the flea market? The sheer variety!

You've got your spring produce (we picked up some sweet corn for dinner).

You've got your incredibly tacky velour blankets.

And there was this--whatever it is. The seller said it was a dollar, or two dollars if you could tell him what it was.

And there is always the unexpected. You could have this fellow for just $80!

My favorite is ALWAYS the dirty box lots. I love to root around for the unusual. Like these little boxes that were from an old pharmacy. One of them is labeled: "Sore throat. Dissolve in mouth every hour until third day."

So here was my haul: A Quaker Lace tablecloth, a couple of table runners (which MIGHT be Russell Wright and Wilendur), some barkcloth, some feedsack, and a bunch of silk scarves and hankies.

After we finished digging, we also stopped for a little fortification:

Because the next thing on the agenda today is pulling everything out of the garage to see what might be causing that awful smell...  But that's OK. I had my Mother's Day fun at the flea market!